What Would I Do Without You?
by DoubleA7
Summary: Story will be restarted on September 25, like chapter 1
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I have no idea how to do all those special symbols over names like the one over Eponine's first E. Also I have never read the book and was just recently introduced to Les Miserables so sorry for any mistakes. This will also be in the Les Miserables plays/musical ****fanfiction.**

* * *

Gavroche scampered down the street looking for the oldest sibling of the Thenardiers. He was the one out of them to strike out on his own despite his youth. Eponine had told him to meet her in front of Pontmercy's apartment building at six thirtyish in the morning.

Squeezing through the crowd, he finally reached the address. It'd been four days since he'd last seen Eponine and two months since he'd seen Azelma who, he suspected, didn't want to be associated with him. But Eponine had alwasy supported her little brother and once a month she would slip him a present she had bought at a second hand store. Nothing too special, maybe a book or hat but they meant everything for him. Even though he was street smart it was always nice to know someone was watching out for him.

To his dismay his sister wasn't in sight.

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and he jerked away, afraid the police had caught up with him. "Gavroche! It's me," a voice said playfully into his ear. Gavroche instantly relaxed. It was Eponine and he turned around to give her a big hug.

She looked pretty much the same other than maybe a tad bit skinnier. As he hugged her she winced slightly and Gavroche immediatly took notice. He looked up into her face. "How bad is it this time?"

She shrugged, trying to avoid his questioning eyes. "Business was a bit slow. That's all, no need to worry." They walked towards a bench nearby and sat down. Paying closer attention Gavroche noticed that her makeup had been heavily applied meaning that there must be more bruises. He felt anger burst into him and thought of his drunken father. If he were older he would've sent the old man packing but he wasn't even twelve yet.

Eponine reached into her coat's inner pocket and brought out a shiny, silver whistle. On closer inspection one would see the detailed engravings and drawing on the otherwise sleek surface. As soon as she had brought it out Gavroche gasped. This was no second hand store trinket.

"For you," Epnine said and settled it into his outstretched hand.

"How much was it?" Asked Gavroche as he examined it more. A smile played on her lips but she didn't reply. "Listen, I can't stay much longer but I want you to only use this when you really need help, alright? I've already talked to some friends of mine and if they hear it they'll come running to help you. But only when you really need help," she whispered to him. "Now go hang out with your friends."

Gavroche nodded. He couldn't help but allow a huge grin. Leaning over, he hugged her tightly and said, "Be safe 'Ponine."

* * *

Marius Pontmercy wasn't the most handsome of boys though he was cute enough to get a few girls swooning over him. And Eponine was one of them. But his looks didn't draw her towards him. It was his kindness. He freely distibuted it to others, no matter who they were.

"Morning 'Ponine," he greeted her as he stepped outside the building.

"Was that Gavroche?"

"Yes."

He was well aware of the two being brother and sister and would occasionally see the boy here and there. Eponine had told him about the whistle a few days ago. Not that some whistle could save the boy but he understood that it was to help Gavroche feel safer.

Buttoning up his jacket he smiled down at Eponine. It was wonderful to know that unlike what most people would say that they could maintain a non- sexual relationship despite being of the opposite gender.

"What are we going to do today?" Asked Eponine.

"Well... I was thinking after my classes we could go out to ABC Cafe'. That sound good?" he asked and she nodded eagerly. She hated the place but didn't let him know since he obviously loved it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: always imagined the Les Mis movie cast in their respective roles in appearance wise though a younger Hadley Fraser always comes to mind when I think of Grantaire. Gavroche wasn't at first going to be involved too much in the story but god, he is a very complex character in both novel and musical if you think about it.**

* * *

Enjolras sighed in irritation as Marius Pontmercy burst through the cafe noisily. During the day the cafe would often be slow on business and be quiet. Like a library. But this place came with the perks of food and drink. He loved the silence and allowed it to help him conjure up some rousing speech. He had just been writing up a speech about the government and how weak and biased it was then Pontmercy had to disrupt his thinking.

ABC Cafe' was located in a two story building with a basement that held their best wine. The upper floor was an apartment where the owners lived. The place was very loud though at night because of the college students frequently going there. It was quite large despite appearing miniature from the outside and could accommodate a fair amount of people. But during the day business was slow, with few people coming in.

Looking up, he noticed that Marius was still being followed by that girl. It'd been over two years since he had first noticed her tagging along with young Pontmercy. She was unkempt. Her clothing tacky and obviously worn out, especially that trench coat of hers which looked as if it were nearing the end of its life. Her makeup was heavily applied as if she were trying to distract the fact that she was so filthy. Hair greasy and grime stuck to her thin body. _Disgusting_, he thought. Why didn't Marius just tell her off?

"Enjolras,what are you doing?" Asked Marius as he sat down across the round table while the girl took a seat in the corner.

_Thinking, I am trying to think, you big oaf, _was what he wanted to say but he didn't. "Just finishing a letter about the tax raise and some other business," he replied.

He and Marius were not exactly buddies but defintley not enemies. They worked as a team though. With Enjolras' inspiring speeches and Marius' friendliness that most people were attracted to, they were pretty much unstoppable.

"Oh. How far are you?" Marius asked as he gulped down the water from his glass.

This time Enjolras couldn't help but roll his eyes. He wanted to reply with a sarcastic remark but decided not to since that would be rude.

A plate was put on the table with a juicy sandwich on it. Marius instantly began to gorge down on it and Enjolras went back to his writing. After writing two more words he felt a pair of eyes on him and glanced up from the paper. She was staring at him. Despite her unkept look he could tell that she was or had been beautiful. Behind the unkept clothing and dirt she was quite pretty, her hair could be a shiny brown and her eyes seemed to draw him in. They were such a dark brown that they almost seemed black.

She seemed to realize he was returning her strong gaze and looked away quickly. He could feel a blush rising up and snapped his eyes back down to the paper. It was probably the first time they had ever held eye contact longer than two seconds,

_Damn it_, he thought to himself. _Now she probably thinks you're some creeper. _

With a sigh of contentment, Marius yawned then got up to pay for his meal. "There a meeting tonight?" He asked as he handed the waiter a tip.

"Yes. Ten- thirty," answered Enjolras, not looking up.

"Well... I'll see you later."

Enjolras looked up at the last second to see Marius leave the cafe' and the girl followed him like his personal shadow.

* * *

To say Gavroche was alone in the city would be a lie. As street smart as he was even he couldn't live entirely by himself. Luckily some of the college students who were part of the Les Amis de l'ABC, the little group of federalists.

Joly, Combeferre, and Grantaire shared a flat and would occasionally let him reside there. Joly, who was a medical student, always fretted over Gavroche, constantly checking his temperature. Combeferre would often try to teach him educational lessons whenever he could spare the time from his studies. Out of all of them he was closest to Grantaire, the drunk who would often scoff at the ideas of his friends.

The two found themselves engaging in many conversations. Once they had somehow began talking about bras but the conversation had been stopped when Joly heard it and cuffed Grantaire on the head.

That night after Eponine had given him the whistle, Gavroche was sitting in one of the comfier chairs and Grantaire had joined him, a bottle always present in his hands, though this time he seemed to be well aware of his actions and surroundings. At first the questions he had asked had been innocent, such as was he understanding algebra and whether he was going to the meeting that night. Then they started to get personal and Gavroche started fidgeting.

"Where's your home 'Roche? Where did you come from?" Grantaire asked, leaning forward. His usual loud and slurred way of talking had been replaced with a quite, firm voice that Gavroche had never knew he was capable of.

Trying to avoid answering Gavroche merely shrugged and took out the whistle. It still shined and he played around with it, hoping Grantaire would stop interrogating him. The older man noticed it and grabbed it form his hands with such speed his hands were a blur. "Where'd you get this Gavroche?" He demanded. "Did you steal it from Monsieur Wilkinson's shop?"

Gavroche bristled at the accusation and stood up, snatching it back. Just because he had stolen things in the past didn't mean that anything he possessed hadn't been paid for.

"Why you asking? Why you need to know?" Screeched Gavroche and tried to make himself appear taller.

Holding his hands up Grantaire attempted to calm down the boy. "Shh. Don't wake up the neighbors, you know how they feel about yelling." When the three students had agreed to find out more about Gavroche and somehow appointed Grantaire as interrogator since the street rat was much more trusting of Grantaire. He cursed under his breath and made sure he would remember to sneeze on all of Joly's clothing.

"I didn't steal this," hissed Gavroche, glaring at Grantaire.

"I know." He kneeled down and attempted to make himself Gavroche's height. Placing his hand on Gavroche's shoulder he tried to make the boy understand. "Did you get that from your home?" Gavroche stared at him then kneed him in the groin and hurried to the small mattress where his stuff was. He ran out of the apartment and shoved into Joly and Combeferre who were just entering.

"Stop him!" Groaned Grantaire as he tried to get up. Combeferre reached out but all his hand grabbed was air.

The young men, realizing they couldn't catch Gavroche right then, helped Grantaire into a chair. Joly was muttering and wringing his hands as he grabbed an ice pack. "It wasn't supposed to go this way, " he cried as he handed Grantaire the ice.

Combeferre was pacing around. "Did you ask him the questions directly?"

"Of course I did. What else was I supposed to say?" Hissed Grantaire as he applied the ice.

Combeferre groaned in exasperation. "You were supposed to use the code words! did you even memorize them?"

"No."

"They were on your desk!"

"Oh."

* * *

He didn't know where he was going. Taking twists and turns on instinct, Gavroche knocked on the door. He waited a few more minutes then knocked louder.

It finally opened and a man with curly blonde hair stood at the entrance. "Gavroche?"

Gavroche shifted from one foot to the other. "I wondered if I could spend the night. My room mates and I had a fight."

"Of course." Enjolras cloded the door behind the boy. "Make yourself at home."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Didn't like how I was doing the story so I changed it. Please review because it's really encouraging and helps motivate me to update more! Constructive criticism much appreciated! Some parts that were cut out will reappear because I loved them too much to see them go.**

* * *

Rolling off the couch, Eponine got up and began to dress for the day. She didn't have too many clothes and the ones she did own were baggy. That was so she would be able to play a pregnant teen in one of her father's schemes. Or so it would be easier for "customers" to take her clothes off.

Her father, who simply preferred to go by his last name, much like that blonde student who led the rallies; was the leader of a notorious gang. The Patron-Minette were recognized by everyone as extremely dangerous. Thenardier made them involved in almost everything illegal. From illegal exports, to drugs and prostitution. Most of the time it was hard to remember when Thenardier had been a caring and loving father, when he had spoiled his children rotten. But those days were long gone, and not even a picture was left of those bitter sweet memories.

She winced slightly as she pulled on her shirt. Bruises of varying colors and sizes covered her torso. Old and new ones blended into one another. She would sometimes try to imagine how Marius would react if he saw her bruises. Would he swoop in and carry her far away,reject her, or storm in and beat her father up? The last one wasn't an option since he would probably return in a casket if he tried to face off the Patron-Minette leader.

"Eponine?"

It was Azelma, her younger sister and Gavroche's older one. The sisters shared the same brown hair and tan skin but the similarities stopped there. Azelma didn't have the dimples that always showed on Eponine when she smiled nor the spark that would sometimes ignite in her eyes. Years of abuse and cruelty had beaten Azelma down to nothing more than a puppet for their father. She was the only reason that Eponine stayed.

"Dad wants to speak to you." The younger Thenardier then retreated in to whatever corner she had been lying in.

"He's not my dad!" Eponine called out angrily at her though she knew Azelma didn't care.

Eponine put some make up on before leaving the room.

She walked in and spotted Thenardier and a young man in a military type of uniform. Thenardier was a bit more nourished than his children though still skinny. He was however, still in excellent condition for a man his age. In his younger years he could have gone to university and become a successful businessman with a well off family if he would've put any effort in school and crime hadn't seemed so appetizing. The man had a few teeth missing and his eyes were black as coal. How he could get passerby to trust him was beyond Eponine.

As she neared them, Eponine felt some recognition of the younger man. She got a little closer and almost had a heart attack. It was Montparnasse a childhood friend of hers before he had turned out to be a monster. She hadn't seen him in years and was conflicted with happiness, anger, and fear as she laid eyes on him.

"Hello 'Ponine," he greeted her, using the nickname he had given her years ago.

"Parnasse," she replied using her old nickname for him. "What are you doing here?"

Thenardier answered for Montparnasse. "He joined us a while ago. I want you to give him a tour around and don't come back until your done." He stumbled off into another room to watch TV leaving the two alone.

* * *

It turned out Montparnasse had gone to a military academy though when Eponine asked how he could've afforded it he grinned wickedly. She refrained from asking him any more questions after that.

They walked between alleys, near motels, and around stores. He would jot down whatever she told him about it. Such as business hours, the employees, security system, and quick get away routes. To her surprise he acted like a gentleman and even bought her some new makeup since she had told him hers was running out. despite that, she still didn't rust him completely.

Around eight p.m. he told her he was hungry and demanded they go to the nearest place which was inconveniently the ABC Cafe'. She hoped Marius wasn't in there because she didn't want him to get the wrong idea of her and Montparnasse.

As they walked inside, a combination of clapping and laughing met their ears. Young men and women were crowded around tables with alcoholic beverages in their hands. At first the pair had tried to find somewhere to sit but resigned to standing in a dark corner after ordering.

A young man was standing on top of a table in the middle of the room and silence fell over. It was Enjolras, the blonde leader of an upcoming revolution.

"To the Revolution!" he said solemnly and raised his glass. He didn't need to raise his voice since everyone was watching him in awe. They all echoed his words except for Eponine and Montparnasse.

The waiter reached them with their food just as Marius arrived followed by Enjolras and Gavroche. Her stomach did a few somersaults when Marius grinned at her, revealing his pearly whites. His hair looked perfect and he had on a new jacket with pretty gold buttons.

"Who's this, Ponine?" the freckle faced youth asked. In her daze of admiring him, Eponine had forgotten about Montparnasse. Before she could respond Montparnasse grabbed her around the waist, pulling her closer to him. Despite her struggles to get out of it, his grip was iron. She could feel his fingernails digging into her skin despite the fabric.

"She's my girlfriend," Montparnasse declared loudly so that everyone in the cafe' could hear him. Eponine blushed deeply from the embarrassment.

"Oh." At first Marius had looked taken aback but he clapped Montparnasse on the back with delight. "You got yourself quite a catch with Eponine, eh?"

"Yes, I do." replied a rather stiff Montparnasse.

"My name is Marius Pontmercy and this is my friend-" Marius began, gesturing to Enjolras but the blonde man had stepped forward.

"Enjolras." The young revolutionary was only shorter than the tall gangster by an inch or so but he seemed to loom over the gang member.

Eponine was struck by how similar they looked. Both had blonde hair though what was left of Montparnasse's looked like moldy hay while Enjolras' gold curls shined. Both men were physically fit and had an aura radiating from them that seemed to warn people that they were to be respected. Enjolras' more angelic features however contrasted against Monparnasse's more brutal ones which consisted of a broken looking nose. And both had a look of utter contempt and hatred on their faces when staring at the other.

* * *

Enjolras was immediately suspicious of the man in the military attire. He didn't care if the man knew Pontmercy's shadow. Anyone in a uniform was someone not to be trusted.

Gavroche followed him as he trailed after Marius. He heard the boy hiss at the sight of the man which made him even more suspicious.

He noticed that as soon as Marius had begun talking to the two that Eponine was uncomfortable. She obviously didn't want the man touching her. If the man was indeed her boyfriend then they had a crappy relationship.

After introducing himself, Enjolras shook hands with the man. He swore he could feel his fingers crack from the man's grip but didn't back down. A leader _never_ retreated.

He left to go make another speech or two but was watching them out of the corner of his eye. It was an hour later and after another inspiring speech, Enjolras saw the two slipping out of the cafe'. He told Combeferre to watch his stuff then followed them out.

They were fast and by the time he had gotten out of the room there was no sign of them on the streets. If that man were a spy of some sorts it would be easier to take him down now than later.

Spotting an alley, Enjolras rushed into it without a second thought. Something told him it would be easier to find them in the shadows. It had been twelve mintues of searching and meeting dead ends until Enjolras decided to head back. The only problem was he didn't know how to get out of the twisting alleys.

Taking random turns, Enjolras cursed himself for rushing in to the alley without thinking. Now he was lost. He thought about calling one of his friends to search for him then realized he had forgotten his cell phone. Curing to himself even louder, he was about to take a left between two intersections when he heard a muffled sound. Deciding to follow it, Enjolras spotted two figures.

One had the other backed against the wall. "Parnasse, stop." It was obviously a woman's voice and he coould hear a man's ragged breathing.

Stepping a bit closer but still keeping out of sight, Enjolras heard the man mutter something. A million thoughts were racing through his head. Was he witnessing rape? Or were they using bondage in their sex? He began to leave until he saw the man hit the woman hard. He heard a crack as she fell.

Taking a deep breath, he called out, trying to make himself appear more menacing than he actually was. "Police! Step a-" He didn't get any further as the attacker barreled past him, throwing Enjolras to the ground and making a clean get away.

Enjolras managed to keep his head from hitting the ground though his hands hat gotten scraped up. Cursing under his breath he walked over to the victim of the attack who was already getting up. Not to his surprise it was Pontmercy's shadow.

* * *

**A/N: Enjolras is being just a bit of a pervert in the last bit but hey, he's a lawyer so what can I say? (That is a joke).**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Please review because it's really encouraging and helps motivate me to update more! Constructive criticism much appreciated! If you have already read chapter 3 before I re edited it and didn't read it again then you should because I made changes in the story. This part was a bit rushed but I needed the story to hurry along a bit.**

* * *

His palms were stinging but he ignored them. Enjolras could barely make her out in the dark. She blended in easily with the shadows and moved just like them.

"Are you alright?" he asked, remembering the loud cracking sound that had happened when she had been hit. He was surprised that she was even up and moving.

"I'm fine, monsieur," she said and started walking toward where he was standing. "Are you?" The way she said it didn't sound at all like she was concerned and he guessed she merely asked out of habit.

He nodded. "Mostly. My hands however, hurt like hell." Enjolras had never been in a physical fight or brawl of some sort before. All his life he had been coddled by his mother and father. University freed him from their over protectiveness, though he still had to keep in contact with them. Not one of the Enjolras family knew he was part of a revolution. If they did they would probably bury themselves in a grave from the shame of it.

She began to leave the alley they were in. Enjolras stepped in front of her. He needed to find out about that man she was with. "Who was that?" he asked. She didn't have anywhere to go since the other way was a dead end.

"Who?" she asked, avoiding the question. He rolled his eyes. "You know who I'm talking about. That man that was with you at the cafe'. Who was he?"

He could hear her snort in indignation and imagined that she was rolling her eyes. "Montparnassse." Once she said that he stepped aside for her to leave, not bothering with a thank you. The name Montparnasse sounded familiar and he stood contemplating it.

* * *

Eponine didn't care if Enjolras turned Montparnasse in. With that creep behind bars her life would be easier. Her head hurt slightly but not too bad. She could feel something wet in her hair. Was it rain?

She brushed the spot that her head had hit the wall. Her fingers came back wet. That was when she heard him calling out after her. Of course, the student was lost. Should she go back for him or wait and see if he could get out of the maze of alleys? He had helped her, even though she didn't like to admit it.

Damn her conscience, she thought as she began to make her way back towards him.

He seemed rooted to the ground when she found him. Staring up at the sky with a furrowed expression. When she called out to him, he jumped slightly then relaxed when he saw it was her.

"Do you need help getting out of here?" she asked but couldn't help but allow a smirk to cross her features as he nodded. The bourgeois had a bit of mud on his hands and streaking his hair, probably from wiping it away from his face. "Follow me," she said and without a second glance to see if he was, she swiftly started walking.

* * *

Enjolras found it difficult to keep up with the young woman as she nimbly made her way. Several times she seemed to disappear only to reappear out of the shadows.

They made it out of the twisting alleys in a short time to his relief. He turned to her. A street lamp brightened the street they were on, which wasn't too far away from the cafe'. It illuminated the blood that was seeping through her hair.

On instinct he stepped forward. "You're bleeding," he said and reached out to touch her but she flinched. It was an obvious sign that she expected him to hurt her in some way. Enjolras never cared too much about the lives of people around him but now he was interested in what her life was like to create such a reaction from her.

Pontmercy's shadow relaxed from her position when it became clear he was not going to harm her. "I am? Oh." Her hands flew up to her head. "I thought it was just rain."

Enjolras thought she was making a joke until he realized she wasn't. Why the hell would you think it was rain; was what he wanted to say but knew it wasn't the wisest choice of words. "I have a friend who's a medical student. He could fix-" he began but she sent him a withering look.

"Well at least let me help you in someway." he said and tried to make her know he meant it through his expression. She laughed. "Why would you help me, Enjolras, when you don't even know my name?"

He blinked. It was true, he didn't though he knew Pontmercy had told him plenty of times. The fact that she knew his made him feel even more guilty. "I apologize. Will you tell me what your name is?" The word apologize felt like an egg he was trying to swallow whole. Not because he was saying it to her but just the act of apologizing to anyone was a slightly foreign concept to him.

"Eponine. Eponine Jondrette."

"Thank you, Eponine, for helping me out." It was hard to say for him since he usually never said thank you. As a child he had been raised to believe that others should say thank you to him and never the other way around. Being an Enjolras meant being vain, cynical, and rude to everyone else who was below them.

Eponine nodded and allowed a small smile to grace her features, prominently showing her dimples.

"Your welcome, Enjolras." she said it hesitantly and he could tell that perhaps he was the first person to ever say thank you to her. She began to leave, stepping into the shadows once more. Before they consumed her, he found himself saying, "After you are better we should talk." And then she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is just a filler chapter, not too much happening here. Important author note at the bottom! And my updates will be really slow because of writer's block and I'm currently working on like four other unfinished stories so...**

* * *

The next time Enjolras saw her he noticed she was wearing a large hat, turtlenecks, and long pants, which was slightly insane considering the heat of the approaching summer. It'd been three days since their first encounter with each other. He guessed the hat was to cover up her head wound. As usual she was sitting a bit back in the room of the cafe' from Pontmercy, her eyes rarely leaving the freckle faced youth other than to converse with Grantaire or some of the other students.

Enjolras didn't even know why the man even bothered with attending the meetings or rallies when he only did was waste away with bottles of beer. All Grantaire did was sarcastically comment on discussions with a lopsided grin and glazed eyes. Sometimes Enjolras was tempted to kick the drunk out but resisted since the Les Amis de l'ABC needed all the help they could get.

Gavroche had moved back in with Grantaire, Joly, and Combeferre after spending three nights with Enjolras. The boy had showed him the whistle that Eponine had bought for him and even blew into it just to show off the clear, melodic sound that it produced. Enjolras had asked him why Eponine had spent money on a whistle when she could've bought food for him and Gavroche told him that she did. Enjolras wondered if the two were related but decided not to ask since Gavroche always seemed to shut down when asked about his family.

She was currently laughing at some joke Courfeyrac had made, probably something sexual knowing Courfeyrac, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. It surprised him that she would do something so affectionate to someone she didn't know well. He wondered when the two had become friends.

"I'm glad you guys have started talking to Eponine," he said, not glancing up from his book, once she was gone. Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Grantaire, and Jehan all laughed. "We've been friends with her for over a year, Enjolras!" Comeferre said while the others were doubling over from laughing.

"You're the one who has never noticed her until a few days ago...Apparantly." Courfeyrac said and waggled his eyebrows. "Since you're a virgin I'm talking about sex."

Enjolras resisted the urge to tell them he was not a virgin. They always assumed he was just because he had never showed any interest in women or men. All his efforts were for France. For Patria. Just the thought of serving her sent a burst of pleasure and happiness coursing through him. He rolled his eyes as the other men, with the exception of Joly who was deeply blushing.

"No, we didn't have sexual intercourse if that's what you're implying," he said crisply, then returned his attention back to his book as the men continued to chuckle.

Jehan, a romantic poet and Courfeyrac's wingman, looked particularly miffed at the other students' reference to sex. "Love making, that's what it is. Not sex or sexual intercourse." But no one was listening to him.

* * *

Thenardier had been wallowing in a pool of reminiscence while Eponine had been gone with Montparnasse. He had been thinking of his wife. She had been arrested on one of their bigger robberies and he hadn't heard of her since because he had packed the bags and left the place with the children. Didn't even look back.

Raising three children was not easy. After they had discovered she was pregnant with Gavroche, they had tried to get rid of him by drinking and drugs, hoping he would just die. They even went as far as to pray in a church! She had cried when the brat had been born, not out of love but sadness and anger that she had another mouth to feed and care for. But the two had put up with him until he had left one Christmas morning, answering their prayers.

Eponine reminded him of her through physical appearance when she had been younger and men lusted after her, including him. Madame Thenardier obsessed over him when they had first met. She would do anything for him though over the course of the long years it had dwindled down to a love hate relationship. The woman knew of his constant affairs but never left him. That was probably her and Eponine's biggest flaw. They were too loyal. Even after he had abandoned her four years ago she hadn't betrayed him. Thinking about his wife, he wondered if she was even alive. Dead, he thought, was probably better.

When Montparnasse had burst into the room he only shrugged at the young man's news. Eponine always came back, no matter how hard you kicked her. Loyal bitch, just like her sister who was only a bit more obedient. Even so, Thenardier stayed awake until he heard her quietly creep into the apartment. The girl had been taken by surprise when he slammed her against the wall then forced her to the ground face first. He kicked her in the stomach until he heard a snap. Taken a leather belt and choked her until her eyes were bulging like a fish and face a dark purple. There was always something so exuberant in making others feel pain. A rush of pleasure and happiness. Sometimes he wished she would beg even though it would blow their cover since the walls were thin and the neighbors noisy. But he knew better and just continued slamming her head into the ground until her body went limp.

* * *

Marius felt like he had seen an angel or goddess. With her blonde hair, fair skin, and bright green orbs. He had wanted to kiss her perfect lips and spin her around then kiss her again but he had to refrain. Mainly because he had just accidentally smashed an ice cream into her face.

He didn't mean to. He was just chasing after Eponine, who had playfully stolen his book, and hadn't been looking where he was going. The girl had just been turning around after buying an ice cream and hadn't noticed him until it had been shoved into her face.

Eponine scoffed in the background as he continued apologizing to the beautiful girl. Miraculously she was smiling and wiped it off with a napkin.

"No worries," she laughed as he continued his sorries. Her laugh was like the tinkle of wind chimes. God, she truly is perfect!

"Well at least let me buy you a new one..." he trailed off, not knowing her name.

"Cosette."

"M-m-Marius." He stammered out. Cosette, what a lovely name! Like the songs sung by birds! He could feel the blush forming on his features and felt like Quasimodo in the presence of Aphrodite. "I'm doing this all wrong."

"No worries." Cosette smiled brightly then grabbed his hand and walked over to the ice cream stand she had just left. He couldn't help but grasp it back tightly. Their hands fit perfectly.

* * *

**A/N: I won't be updating this story anymore if there aren't at least two reviews on each chapter from this one and the others after it. Yeah, it's annoying and frustrating when someone only continues for reviews but I want to become better at writing and this is one of the few ways I can accomplish that. Oh Marius' and Cosette's encounter is lightly based off of burdge-bug's When Blair Met Prosper. Go check her out, she's on DeviantART!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The story will mainly be from Enjolras' point of view but we'll still get to hear Eponine's side of it and some extra bits from different characters. And for those who don't know, Cosette is described as a lark in the book, though I'm pretty sure everyone knows that, but just in case you didn't. This chapter was a bit rushed.**

* * *

Eponine felt numb as she watched Marius walk away with the lark. He hadn't even looked at her or asked for his book back.

Cosette's name was eerily familiar sounding and Eponine racked her brain trying to remember. It then dawned on her that that young, elegant woman had been the miserable little wretch who had practically been enslaved by Eponine's parents when they were younger. The Thenardiers had been a foster family for a short time until Cosette had been taken away. Eponine remebered hurting the girl physically, calling her names, and gloating in her face. Later, a rich looking gentleman came and took Cosette away, not without a hefty charge of course. But the money he had paid eventually dwindled away as Thenardier gambled and drank and Madame Thenardier bought expensive jewelry. Now Cosette was the one with the boasting to do.

Why did she, of all people, have to fall in love with someone who didn't even love her back? Was she that desperate to think that someone might care about her for a change? Eponine didn't know what to do. To see Marius in love made her heart soar but to know that it was someone else and not her made it drop to the ground like a stone.

She didn't realize that she was walking into the ABC Cafe' until she heard the tinkle of the bell announcing her arrival. Clutching the book tighter to her chest she sat down in her usual spot, not bothering with ordering anything.

"I didn't think you were the type to read To Kill a Mockingbird," a voice mused.

She looked up to see the stony face of Enjolras. She noticed he was wearing another ed jacket though it was slightly different from the one he usually donned. The one he was now wearing looked as if it had cost over a hundred dollars. Glancing down at the paperback, with its worn pages and faded cover. She shrugged. "I'm not. This is Marius'."

"You don't mind if I take this seat, do you?" he asked but was already setting his heavy bag down and pulling a chair out before she could reply. "What books are you interested in?" he asked, bringing out an even heavier looking book that looked as if he had just bought it.

"I rarely read."

"Not your thing?"

"Can't afford any."

Stumped on what to say to continue their easy banter, Enjolras opened his book and began reading. It had been seven minutes and he was really getting into Utopia. He should actually be studying the law books in his bag, or man bag as Grantaire called it, but decided to postpone them. The awkward silence between them dwindled away and both began to read the books in their hands. The silence soon became comfortable to the two and were growing more comfortable with it by the minute.

They both looked up at the same time when Combeferre and Courfeyrac barged into the cafe'.

The two young men were disheveled and breathing heavily. "Enjolras! Did you forget about the rally?" asked Courfeyrac then noticed Eponine and winked at her. He had forgotten. Sparing a glance at the clock hanging over the door Enjolras noticed it was ten minutes later then when his speeches were supposed to have begun.

Enjolras got up and hastily began to put his stuff into his man bag. Eponine realizing that Enjolras was leaving, tried to hide her disappointment. Though he hadn't been the preferred company (ahem, Marius), she had enjoyed it somewhat. He was very different from Marius who could ramble on about any topic. Enjolras seemed like the type to be content with silence and had the ability to put up with people, even if he was irritated.

Eponine watched them head out the door and sighed. Only to look up and see Enjolras standing before her again. "Would you like to go with us?" he asked and this time he waited for an answer.

* * *

"WAHOOO!" whooped Courfeyrac as they sped down the road towards where the upcoming rally lay. The black haired youth was sticking his head out of the truck and grinning like a madman. "Faster, Combeferre!" he called down to his friend who slowed down at a stop sign just to irk the self proclaimed ladies' man.

Enjolras glanced over to see how Eponine was doing. They were in the backseat of Combeferre's truck with Courfeyrac occupying shotgun. Normally he would take one of the front seats but today he wanted to see how Eponine was feeling since she had been so depressed looking while at the cafe'. She was clutching Marius' book to her chest. Probably imagining that it was Marius who she was holding. He wondered why someone who was obviously independent, would obsess over someone as dorky as Marius. Not that he hated the freckle faced man. He just got on Enjolras' nerves.

When he had asked her to come along with them he didn't know why he had done it and almost bit his tongue when she had said yes. For some reason he wanted to see how she would react to one of his speeches. He didn't know why it was so important to him to know how she felt about what he was doing, it just was.

The truck screeched to a stop and the twenty something year olds swiftly got out where a crowd had gathered near a handmade platform in a street. Joly and a bald man were trying to calm the restless crowd.

Enjolras began making his way through the crowd though it was diificult because everbody was so closely packed together. Combeferre and Courfeyrac were flanking him to make sure he wouldn't be grabbed. The bald man who was Bossuet, took a bullhorn and began ordering the crowd to let Enjolras through. The people parted like the red sea and he managed to make it on to the platform.

Most of the main members of the Les Amis de l'ABC were there except for Marius. "Where's Marius, he should be here!" He hissed. The others shrugged and shook their heads while muttering 'I don't know'. He looked down and saw that Eponine had not joined them on the platform but was standing fairly close. Maybe she would pay more attention without the distraction of Marius. However, she looked bored and it made Enjolras feel like he had to prove something.

"I'll take it from here," he said before turning to face the spectators. With one hand raised, he managed to silence the crowd. All eyes were trained on him so he began his tirade against the government. It was exhilarating to speak out to those who would listen. Enjolras felt the spewing out of his mouth and put his heart into it. He could tell the spectators were absorbing everything he said like sponges. He was just getting to the part where he would quote Victor Hugo but was stopped when someone called out that the police were arriving. Confusion and fear swept over the people and they began to disperse. Wasting no time he jumped down from the platform as squad cars appeared on the street. As much as he wanted to take a stand right there he couldn't because the time just wasn't right.

People were running everywhere, not wanting to face the law. In the chaos he was knocked down and when he tried to get up he was roughly shoved back down again. Shouting was heard and he lifted his hand above his head to make sure he wouldn't get knocked unconscious while people rushed past him, several stepping on him. A hand tugged at his arms and began to pull him back up. "C'mon Enjolras!" ordered Combeferre who began to drag the curly blonde away. Forcing himself to stand up, they began to run to where they had parked the truck. Courfeyrac was already in it and had started it up. Just as he began to get into it he remembered Eponine didn't have transportation to get away unlike the Les Amis and the crowd that had gathered. "Wait, we need to go back for Eponine!" he shouted over the sirens of police cars that grew louder. Combeferre pulled him in. "Don't worry! She knows her way around!" Then shut the door.

Enjolras didn't like the fact that they were abandoning her but couldn't do anything as Courfeyrac stepped on the pedal.

* * *

**A/N: Utopia was written in 1516 by Thomas More who was beheaded by Henry V III in 1535 and also wrote A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation while in prison! To Kill A Mockingbird is by Harper Lee and is not about an actual mockingbird (I went around for twelve years thinking it was).**


	7. Chapter 7

** A/N: Mainly a filler chapter. I've started imagining both George Blagden (2012 movie) and Hadley Fraser (25th Anniversary) as Grantaire so now I'm stuck between the two because they're both brilliant! I think right now I'm starting to lean towards George but that doesn't mean Hadley will be forgotten! Still no idea how to do the funky symbols over names and words like Eponine's first E, so if you know how to please tell me. Just a reminder, Two reviews for each chapter after chapter five or no updates.**

* * *

Clutching a broken nose, Grantaire tried to make himself as indiscernible as possible. He was huddled against a wall between an alley, hoping the police or Inspector Javert wouldn't find him. The frenzied crowd had practically trampled him in their haste to get away from the law. Grantaire had been kicked in the nose and managed to crawl into the alley where no one else was going.

As he pinched the bridge of his nose and tipped his head back, he wondered if the other boys had gotten away. Wondered if Enjolras was alright. Grantaire wasn't gay, or even that interested in any sex or gender. He wasn't interested in anyone or anything else other than Enjolras. The blonde revolutionary never noticed the longing gazes of the drunk, never noticed how he would get drunk just to make Enjolras drive him to the blonde's apartment though it didn't always work out since Combeferre would usually drive him back to their shared flat. He just wanted Enjolras to know that he was there for him, that he would always be there.

He heard footsteps approaching and shrunk down. Even as drunk as he was, Grantaire knew that if the police caught him all of Enjolras' hard work would be nothing. And to fail Enjolras was something Grantaire never wanted to do.

The footsteps were nearing him and he pressed himself harder against the wall while still trying to stifle his bleeding nose.

"R?" a voice called out and he peeked out, knowing that only his friends called him that. It was Eponine to his relief. "Here!" he replied and waved his left hand while still pinching his nose with the right. She didn't have her usual trench coat or hat on which revealed her skinny frame. She had on a white t shirt and baggy jeans that had several tears on them.

"Are d polithe gun?" he asked thickly as the blood was starting to clog his throat. She nodded then noticed his state. She helped him up from his crouching position and led him out onto the street where no other souls remained though it had been filled with over a hundred less than an hour ago.

"Tip your head forward," she ordered when they had found a garbage can. He obliged and after a while of bending forward he felt some relief.

"How do you feel?" she asked as he straightened up. Chuckling he wiped the bit of blood off of his face. "A weird sense of deja vu," he said, referencing his bouts of sickness from throwing up.

"Good," she said and wiped back some of the hair that was falling in front of her face. "Wasn't quite what I expected from a rally. Does it often end with you guys fleeing?" she joked but noticed Grantaire, who would laugh at the lamest jokes, had a serious expression on his face. Her eyes followed the path of his gaze where they ended at her bare arms. Arms that were almost always covered up with some article of clothing.

Scars from knives and other sharp objects crudely ran up and down her arms. As if someone had used her skin for as a drawing board for an angry sketch. Bruises ranging from a deep purple to a sickening yellow stood out. And his eyes then traveled up, noticing the marks on her neck that had been hidden by a scarf which had been thrown off during the mad rush.

"What the fuck happened to you, Eponine?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

* * *

The Valjeans lived in a modest two story house with a large backyard full of every flower imaginable. It had the 'welcome home' feel to it especially with the large mat that said exactly that by the front door.

Jean Valjean, Cosette's father, looked up from the newspaper he was reading when his adopted daughter burst into the room. He smiled at her then went back to reading. It was his and Fantine's best decision to to adopt her since she couldn't bear children. Sometimes he would have nightmares of what could've happened to Cosette had they not taken her away from the awful foster family she had been living with.

"Someone is coming over for dinner tonight, Papa!" she chirped as she pecked him on the cheek.

"Who is it?" he asked as she bounded upstairs to tell Fantine. Cosette had never been too social so the idea of her inviting s someone over was surprising and a welcoming change.

"His name's Marius!" then she ran up the rest of the flight.

Valjean's jaw dropped and his hands gripped the fragile paper tightly, accidently tearing it into two. Did she just say what he thought she just said? Fantine was descending the stairs and saw his expression. "Something wrong, dear?"

"A boy is coming over?" he asked.

"Yes, he'll be around at five thirty so we're just going to tidy up. Can you clean the furniture?"

But Valjean wasn't listening. A boy was coming over for dinner to see their precious Cosette. The thought replayed in his mind again and again.

* * *

Montparnasse was playing around with his knife. Twirling it expertly in between his fingers. All of the key members of the Patron-Minette were at Thenardier's place.

Babet, who was relatively well off without the extra money that came with their crimes, was a dentist. He controlled the north wing of the Patron-Minette's territory, and also would gather information for them from gossiping customers. Brujon and Gueulemer were the main brawn of the high circle. They would often scare the other gangs away and were well known for their extraordinary strength. One of them was a firefighter and the other a police officer, though he couldn't remember exactly which. Claquesous was the closest to Montparnasse's age. A fidgety man with the unnatural tendency to crack the odd joke, he worked as a journalist and did stand up comedy at any place that would hire him.

Montparnasse also had a role in the group. With his looks and charm, he would entrance women towards them then force them into the sex trafficking that the group conducted. The girls would trust him even more in his military uniform.

They had all heard the important news from Thenardier. Whether bad or good for them, his wife, was finally out of prison and was returning to her husband in a few days.

Turning to look out the window he saw a fancy car peeling out of the driveway. A knock came and he knew it was Eponine. He frowned, what would she be doing in some fancy car, unless she were fucking the owner? That must be it. At the thought of the oldest Thenardier, he licked his lips.

God he loved her. Not the type of one that the fag Nicholas Sparks wrote about. It was the lust that came from two beings.

He loved the fucking reactions he could get from her. Loved her physical appearance, loved seeing how disgusted she was by them. She still had hope and the one thing Montparnasse really wanted was to crush it. He knew it was tearing her inside to sell herself like the whore she was. But she didn't have to. He had asked her father earlier. Asked for her to be his. And anything Montparnasse set his sights on was _his_.

* * *

**A/N:Grantaire in this story is like asexual and homo at the same time (I don't expect you to understand what that means). Also the reason he's the first one who really notices Eponine's awful situation in this fanfic is because I figured them to be the closest and none of the Les Amis know just how vicious her home life is. Fantine is in the story because I just couldn't let her go. She is not Cosette's biological mother. Grantaire was s****aying 'Are the police gone'. Also I'm totally L.G.B.T. supportive but I just put the fag part in because its Montparnasse's view.**


	8. Chapter 8

It was the day after the rally that Enjolras saw her after one of his tirades. She was in the corner with Grantaire, who had been strangely quiet all day. He noticed her usual trench coat and shabby scarf she had recently donned, were gone and replaced with a nice looking leather jacket and silk scarf.

He walked over to them and nodded at Grantaire who was tightly gripping a bottle. Figures.

"What happened to your old coat?" he asked but immediately regretted the words.

Grantaire speaks up before Eponine could say anything. "I bought them for her," his eyes have a glazed look about them, and at first Enjolras thinks he is drunk. But he's not. A drunk Grantaire was obnoxious, sarcastic, and above all very happy. But this Grantaire looked as if he had just been from a funeral.

Enjolras debated if he should ask the other man if he was all right, but decided not to. If Grantaire was having problems and wanted help then he should ask for it.

"Eponine, what did you think of the rally?" He asked, shaking back some of his blonde hair from his face. He tried to gauge her expression when she didn't immediately answer. She scrunched her eyebrows and looked down briefly at her hands. "It was okay."

Enjolras nodded, though he didn't get exactly what she meant by her words.

"Why not?" He asks, taking Grantaire's seat opposite of her. "Is what we're doing," he gestured to the other men," not important?"

Eponine shakes her head quickly. "I like what you're doing...Just not how you're doing it."

At first Enjolras was offended by what she said. But he forced himself to bit his tongue and listen. It was good that Eponine could provide a different point of view for him.

"What do mean by that?" he asks.

"Well..."

* * *

They were the last two left at the cafe'. Combeferre and Courfeyrac said goodnight while they towed a passed out Grantaire to their flat. Just before they left Eponine shouted out to Combeferre to tell Gavroche that she loved him.

Both of their heads were bent over a piece of paper. Blonde curls mixing with brown waves.

"What the hell does that mean?" Eponine asked once again. She had become more relaxed over the past hours and so had he. It was a weird, but welcoming sensation for both of them.

Sighing to himself yet sort of happy that she wanted to know what he meant instead of like the rest of the Amis who would just nod and listen half heartedly to his speeches. "A nomenclature is names or terms comprising a set or system," he said, using the exact definition for it. Eponine gives him a blank look than grabs her pen, well his pen, but she had been using it for the past hour, and scrawled over almost every word on the paper.

"What did you do that for?" cried Enjolras. "That was half my speech!" He tried to grab the pen back from her to rewrite it before he forgot the words but she smugly put it in her pocket.

"Don't use such big words. No one will understand you." Eponine said and grinned as Enjolras began muttering the half finished, now ruined, speech out loud. "I'm surprised you can get people so inspired when you talk about your revolution."

Eponine was exaggerating somewhat. Yes, Enjolras often used words that were unknown and a mouthful, but she knew his passion shone through when speaking of his utopia, and that was what got so many people interested.

"Do you want my help or not?" Eponine challenged after Enjolras growled in frustration. He looked up then said, "Only if you give me back my pen."

* * *

Exiting the cafe', Grantaire waved goodbye at Enjolras and Eponine. It was crushing him inside to know what Eponine's home life was like. He remembered when confronting her that she had broken down.

_Eponine had a look of pain and shame weighing down on her features as Grantaire demanded she tell him what had happened to her. _

_"It was my father." She muttered. She wasn't used to seeing a pissed off Grantaire. In fact, the angriest she had seen him be was when Enjolras had failed to show up to a meeting. _

_"What?" Grantaire asked, certain he had misheard. Hoping he had misheard._

_"It was my dad. My father," she spits the word out like poison. "Likes to use his family as a punching bag. So do his friends." Tears roll silently down her cheeks, but Eponine has a calm expression when she starts to recount every little bruise and cut. Every little time she had been forced to spend a night with someone she didn't want to. That was the day Grantaire learned she had siblings, and that one of them was Gavroche. That was the day he learned she had been afraid of him for a short period of time because he drank as much as her father, if not more. "But then I realized you were just a happy drunk and you liked Mumford and Sons," she said, trying to squeeze a joke in but only receiving a look of hurt and anger from Grantaire. Anger at her father, for fucking his own family up, anger at her for putting up with it, anger at himself and all the rest of the Amis for not realizing what was going on._

It was scary as shit to see Eponine have a breakdown, even if it had been short and small. He had tried to tell her to go to the police, offered her room at his place, begged her to go to a hospital. But Eponine refused, despite the pain that threatended to engulf her. She had shoved him back and made him swear not to tell anyone. That was also the day he had swore to himself that he would stop drinking for good. And Grantaire was a man of his word.

Since then he made a point of watching out for her.

Every day since the rally, Grantaire saw Enjolras and Eponine together, side by side, at the ABC Cafe'. At first he was jealous and bitter that Enjolras was suddenly showing Eponine so much attention. He supposed it was what Eponine had felt like when she had seen Marius with Cosette. Like someone had unexpectedly dumped cold water on him while sleeping. But for Grantaire, he had gotten used to it. He embraced it because as he liked to think, go with the flow and you won't drown.

Strolling down the street as he watched the two, he gripped the coffee he had been substituting for alcohol, in his hand a tad bit tighter. Eponine deserved something good, and Grantaire, with all his flaws, was going to make sure she got it somehow. Observing them as he hurried past, he couldn't help but think Apollo and the Gamine in love through the help of Dionysus. He laughed. Jehan would eat that shit right up.

Immersed in his thoughts, Grantaire was knocked over by someone. It was a man with dark hair and warm looking eyes, dressed in a suit with a briefcase in his hand. "Sorry, wasn't looking where I was going," the man said as he helped Grantaire back up. "That's all right," Grantaire mumbled back, but was miffed since his coffee had spilled over the only white shirt he owned.

"Oh, sorry about your shirt! Here, use my coat to cover it up for now." The man offered his expensive looking coat to Grantaire who reluctantly took it.

"I know it's not much, but let me buy you a drink and I'll give you my phone number so you can call and tell me where to buy your size." The man said and gestured for Grantaire to follow him to a nearby Starbucks. Grantaire could just imagine the disapproval of his betrayal of the ABC cafe' from the rest of the Amis, which had the best hot chocolate and double espresso ever, but couldn't because he found himself looking at the dark haired man. "OK."

"Excellent! My name's Ramin, by the way."

* * *

**A/N: Damnit writer's block! Oh, and Ramin Karimloo makes an appearance! Yeaaaaah (because Grantaire needs someone to love)! By the way this will be very slow going... So if you hate those type of stories don't keep on reading. This turned out much longer than intended.**


	9. Chapter 9

The Patron-Minette were all warily watching Madame Thenardier. She was a busty woman with hair that seemed to bounce off in almost every direction. Her skin was pale and her mouth seemed to droop into a permanent scowl.

Thenardier was also apprehensive of his wife. She had lost some weight from being in prison and he liked it. He still remembered the time when she had liked to compare herself to Marilyn Monroe even though she looked more like a bloated whale. However he was uneasy about getting too close to her. There was something off about her. Something about her eyes. Dark and cold. Colder looking than he remembered.

She shuffled around the room, kicking things as she went. "Shitty place ya gotcha yourself 'ere." She remarked. "Ya even clean up around 'ere after I left? Never mind." Thenardier raised an eyebrow in response. It was as if she had forgotten who had left who.

Exchanging glances with Brujon, Thenardier tried to talk to her. "Darling, don't you remember? 'Ponine usually does it."

Madame Thenardier face took an even more sour note. "Where my kids anyway? They should be 'ere to meet me!" She held out her arms as if she were expecting one of their children to burst out of hiding and hug her.

"Well...um... You see-" Thenardier tried to say. His wife had always been a tad fonder than him of their children. Gavroche lived on the streets now. Azelma, he knew, was picking pockets that day and Eponine... Well he didn't know where the eldest Thenardier was since he hadn't seen hair nor hide of her for the past three days. Thenardier had been contemplating sending Montparnasse after her.

"See?! I don't see nothing! Where are they?!" Madame Thenardier shouted, scaring all the Patron-Minette. "Where are the ungrateful wretches? Don't they wanna see their mum?! I spent four years and seven months in that cell eating stale bread and rancid water and when I come home no one even gives a smile!"

Brujon, who had decided enough was enough, placed a hand on Madame Thenardier's shoulder. "Mada-" he began but was cut off by Madame Thenardier whirling around and punching him in the gut. It wasn't a hard punch but still took him by surprise.

"Don't you dare touch me, you fat beast!" Madame Thenardier spat then stomped into a different room, leaving the gang to digest the fact that she was there and she wasn't going to leave.

Thenardier glared at the spot she had left. She was a loose cannon. There were ups and downs to that. Babet tapped him on the shoulder, his hand covered the receiving end of the cell phone he had in his hand. "Important message for you," he said as he passed it over to Thenardier.

"Who is this?" Thenardier snapped. The caller ID was anonymous.

"This is Officer Gillenormand of the police force. We know who you are, where you live and who your family is, Thenardier." Gillenormand said. Thenardier raised an eyebrow then made several gestures to tell the Patron-minette what was happening.

"Commissioner Javert wants to make a deal with you. In exchange for information on a group neither you or the members of your gang will be pressed charges of any kind."

Thenardier was suspecting it had something to do with information. The Patron-Minette were very well in tune with what happened in the city.

"Aah. What group are ya talkin' about?" He would much rather end up in prison for life than be dead if the group was too much for the Patron-Minette to handle.

"A group of students in your area. They are planning something and we need names and information on them."

* * *

Combeferre nudged Enjolras with his shoulder. They were at the ABC Cafe' and had been working on how much money it would take to do a large protest at where the Tuileries Palace once stood or at the Porte Saint-Martin since they had gained enough support to be able to stage the act. Travel expenses were high on their own, not to mention food and water in case it lasted longer than they expected.

The Amis had agreed, after many stress filled discussions, that they would try to make it a peaceful protest. However, if things started to turn too violent they would be prepared by using pepper spray and tazers. Bahorel had insisted they bring guns but his idea was vetoed by the group.

"Marius and Eponine are here," he said just as the two came into the cafe'.

Enjolras tried to hide his grin at Eponine's appearance and his irritation at Marius for not showing up at the past meetings lately. He was extremely stressed. Ever since Eponine had started helping him with his speeches there had been more support for their cause. While he was able to spark a fury in people, Eponine was the one who people felt for. She was able to fit in with any group of people. She had done it with the Amis who were a closely knit group.

"Where have you been Marius?" He snapped. "I sent you several messages about how important the last meetings were. Even Eponine's been attending all of them, unlike you"

He was glad Marius had the decency to blush. _Serves him right_, he thought.

"Sorry. Cosette and I-"

"Who?" Enjolras asked. He took note that Eponine frowned slightly at the name but it disappeared so fast he thought he had imagined it.

"Cosette, my girlfriend. We've been hanging out a lot but she has classes to attend to so I decided to drop by."

"Marius, even Joly and Bossuet have made time to get involved in this despite Musichetta." Enjolras said.

Marius looked down ashamed. "Ok. What do you need me to do?"

Combeferre told him that they needed him to get more money from his 'rich grand daddy' as Grantaire referred to Monsieur Gillenormand. Marius kept in contact with his grandfather, asking for money to help their group which the older man gave to him though he didn't know what the money was being used for. It made Marius guilty to be using his grandfather's money like that, but Enjolras would remind him that it was all for a higher cause.

The three students and Eponine went back to work. They rarely spoke except for a few 'how are you doing?' and the occasional 'where's my pen?'. Eponine was helping Combeferre with his calculations, Marius was supposedly figuring out how to ask his grandfather for more money, and Enjolras was contacting the other leaders of different groups for the upcoming protest. Most of them said they could make it to one of the two places on the dates he had suggested and those who wouldn't attend promised to send money and supplies. His spirits were rising from all the support and Enjolras thought that nothing could make the rest of his day wrong until he heard Marius talking to Eponine.

"-Then you take a right and go up the flight of stairs to the second floor. After that there's the classroom. Thank you so much, Eponine!" Marius said to Eponine as he opened the cafe' door for her. "Tell her I love her!" Combeferre and Enjolras shared a curious look with each other.

"What was that about, Marius?" Asked Combeferre. He could tell that Enjolras wanted to know but had too much pride to show curiosity in Marius' life.

"Oh, I asked Eponine to give a letter to Cosette. Jehan told me hand delivered love letters are more romantic than texts with the hearts and smiley faces,' explained Marius with a large grin plastered across his face. In fact, for the past hour he had been at the cafe he had been working on the letter. He was oblivious to an angry Enjolras as he continued to describe why hand delivered love letters were much more special than texts. "And it's our one week anniversary so I just wanted to tell her how much I love her and that I miss her and-"

"Wait, why didn't you just deliver the letter yourself?" Combeferre asked, a twinge of disappointment in his voice. He liked Marius but sometimes felt that the boy was blind to what others felt, much like Enjolras, though the circumstances were different.

"Well Eponine wasn't busy and I am," Marius said. "With the revolution stuff-"

That did it for Enjolras. "The revolution? You haven't been involved in it for the past week and a half. Not even so much as a notice to tell me you wouldn't be here!"

"Cosette and I-"

"There are more important things than you and Colette!" cried an agitated and ticked of Enjolras.

"Cosette," Marius corrected Enjolras who gave him a withering look. "Besides, I'm here now. Though it hurts, I can't stop thinking about her and-" Enjolras placed a hand on Marius' shoulder, trying to become calm and cool.

"I don't doubt you mean well, Marius, but right now there's a higher cause." When Enjolra said that, Marius rolled his eyes which earned another withering look from Enjolras. "Who cares about your lonely soul? We are now part of a much larger goal and Colette is not part of it." With that said, the three young men focused their attention on the papers that lay before them.

* * *

Cosete laughed along with her friend Musichetta as they exited the class. The two were in psychology together and had grown quite close, especially when Musichetta found out Cosette was dating Marius.

"I like a guy who is devoted to me, but celebrating a one week anniversary is a bit much, even for me!" Musichetta said, commenting on Marius' eagerness in the relationship. Cosette nodded. She loved Marius already but was glad she had most of her classes that day. Her and Musichetta were going to go out for some shopping.

She was about to agree when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Turning around, Cosette came face to face with a girl wearing a leather jacket with dirty hair. Cosette tried not to clutch her purse closer to her body, but couldn't help it. The girl was the poster child for stealing.

"This is for you," the girl said simply and handed Cosette a fat envelope. She tore it open to see a fancy scrawl on it. She could feel Musichetta practically breathing down her neck as they both read the calligraphy.

"Wooooow," Musichetta said, then nudged Cosette. "She's still here."

The girl was still standing in front of them, hands shoved deeply into her pockets. Cosette relaxed, knowing the the girl had no intentions of taking any of her things.

"Thank you..." Cosette trailed off, waiting for the girl to supply her name. But she didn't. The girl looked familiar and Cosette was trying to figure out where she recognized her from.

"Your welcome. Marius wanted to let you know that he reserved dinner at the Carnadaier and will be picking you up at seven."

Cosette gasped. The Carnadaier was one of the newest, expensive restaurants in the city. Musichetta whistled. "Maybe having a clingy boyfriend isn't too bad."

"Is there anything you want me to tell Marius?" the girl asked, looking more uncomfortable with every second that passed.

"Umm... Just tell him I'm looking forward to it. Thanks." Cosette said. It was giving her migraines trying to figure out who the girl was. The girl nodded, then began walking away. Cosette's eyes narrowed when she saw bruises peeking out from behind the scarf the girl wore on her neck. Some of them looked like rope marks and others as if someone had tried to choke her with their hands. And then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The hair, the eyes, the manner and way the girl talked. Eponine, her old foster sister, the one who had constantly thrown things in her face when they were younger, and bullied her. Now their roles were reversed, but that made Cosette sad and a tad bit angry that there would always be somebody that got the short end of the stick.

"Wait!" she called out. "D-d-do you want to go shopping with us?" Her own words surprised her just as much as they did with Eponine and Musichetta. Cosette knew Musichetta wasn't too happy with her outburst since she had promised it would just be the two of them. _Some things are more important than a girl's day_, Cosette thought.

"I don't have any money," Eponine said.

"That's alright! We were just going to do window shopping," Cosette lied. Maybe she could help Eponine, and it wouldn't hurt to use her as a subject for a model in psychology class. "Please."

Eponine frowned, along with Musichetta. She was going to say no, but one look into Cosette's puppy dog eyes made her reluctantly nod yes.

* * *

**A/N: Madame Thenardier was greatly toned down from how I originally wrote her. She was so off her rocker that I was thinking about changing the story to an M rating but decided against it.**

**Tuileries Palace and Porte Saint-Martin were fairly important places in the real June Rebellion of 1832.**

**Officer Gillenromand is Theodule Gillenormand, Marius' cousin. He and Monsiuer Gillenormand are two different people though they are relatives.**

**THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE FOLLOWED, FAVORITED, REVIWED, OR READ THIS STORY! YOU'RE AWESOME!**

**Carnadaier is a made up name that I invented for a made up for a non existent restaurant.**


	10. Chapter 10

Even though he was sprinting so fast that his feet barely made contact with the ground more than a split second, Enjolras felt as if someone had dropped a ton of bricks on him and every step felt like he had metal chains tied around them.

The news of Lamarque's impending death had crushed him. Lamarque, a retired general, had been a powerful force and a strong voice for the lower class of France. Though he had never met the politician, who had been dying of a brain tumor in the recent months, Enjolras had written to the man countless times. And each time he had received a letter back from the man, congratulating him on his ideas, asking questions about them, and advising him how to stage the upcoming protests and his overall career in the future in being a politician.

Lamarque was Enjolras' idol. They both had the same goal in mind. A better France for its citizens. His whole life he had felt that the man had replaced his own father in Enjolras' life, who had so often ignored him in favor for his thriving business.

Enjolras didn't know where he was going and honestly didn't care. He had sent his friends off and cancelled the upcoming meeting

Maybe that was why Enjolras was so driven in his cause. For once people respected him. Looked up to him. Idolized him like he did with Lamarque. That didn't mean he did it to have attention. But it helped. It gave him confidence.

Blinking away the tears that had started to brim, Enjolras turned a sharp left, accidentally crashing into someone.

Enjolras cursed as the concrete scraped the right side of his face though his hands took most of force. He could feel the blood trickling down his palms and was aware of people staring at him, though no one stepped forward to help. Wincing as he got back up on his feet, Enjolras was about to apologize to the person he had knocked over but froze.

The man was brushing his pants off while yelling strings of curses directed at Enjolras. But the profanities weren't what paralyzed him.

"You," he said to Montparnasse.

He had forgotten about turning the man in. His mind had been so wrapped up in the protests and speeches the name had slipped his mind. Enjolras had meant to turn him in.

Montparnasse sent him a scowl. "Va te faire foutre!" And proceeded to push past Enjolras, all the while continuing his curses.

At first he was frozen in shock but then Enjolras remembered the way the man had hit Eponine and it sent a surge of anger in him.

"Wait!" he said and grabbed Montparnasse's arm. He didn't know what he was going to do and was about to say the first thing that popped in his head but found himself suddenly on the ground again, his jaw began swelling from where Montparnasse had punched him. His shirt was then grabbed by the man and he roughly hauled to his feet.

"Listen, batard, qui la baise vous pensez que vous etes?" Montparnasse growled. His eyes were dark and hooded and his breath had the familiar smell of intoxication as Grantaire's used to be.

_Merde_, Enjolras thought as he was thrown to the ground. He could hear people crowding around them and dimly heard someone shout out for help but his attention was snapped back to Montparnasse as he sent a harsh kick in Enjolras' stomach then proceeded to rain blows on him.

* * *

"So, you're a musician." Said Grantaire as he and Ramin left the building where the older man bought music and other musical supplies.

"Sort of," Ramin replied with a laugh. They had been hanging out a lot lately, well not really, it was only the third time in the past four days and usually less than an hour when they saw each other. Grantaire tried to tear his eyes away from the man's muscles, which were clearly well developed through his t-shirt. It was the first time he had seen him in anything casual looking, and causal looking never looked better.

"I do guitar and occasionally sing the odd song or two, but Hadley is our frontman," explained Ramin. They had been in each other's company over two hours that day and Grantaire couldn't remember a time he had been more content with just talking to someone. Again he had to remind himself that Ramin probably wasn't gay, and if he was, more than likely was already taken or would never see Grantaire as anything more than a friend.

Lost in thought, he was jolted back to reality when Ramin nudged him with his elbow and pointed to a crowd. "What do you think is happening?"

Grantaire shrugged in response. "I have no idea but it looks pretty big," he said as they drew nearer to the crowd He was about to suggest they go a different route when the chanting of 'fight' met his ears. Apparently Ramin also heard it and without saying anything, they began to push their way through the onlookers.

As he squeezed between some fat lady with a Chihuahua and a tall man with a mustache he tried in vain to catch up to Ramin, who had immediately sprinted into the crowd.

"Sorry," he muttered as he got roughly pushed into the woman's bosom and sent a light kick to her dog as it tried biting his ankles. Spotting Ramin who was also struggling with the crowd, he hurried forward and together they pushed past the onlookers as the chanting grew louder.

* * *

"Dad?" Cosette asked after she had shown her parents the new clothing she had bought.

"Mmm?"

"When you and Maman adopted me... I was just wondering what happened to my foster family." Cosette continued, nervous about asking her father these things. She remembered clearly her foster family but had never been curious about them after she had been taken in by the Valjeans. But today, seeing Eponine again, had changed all that. Whenever the dark haired girl was somewhat distracted, Cosette would be taking mental notes on her. Everything from the way she stood, to how she spoke, though Eponine barely said a word while Cosette and Musichette giggled as they went from one store to the other. Gone was the little girl who had once thrown a book at Cosette and boasted whenever she received a new toy from her parents. In her place was a grown woman with a bitter outlook on life and bruises on her body.

Valjean glanced over to his wife for permission to tell Cosette. When Fantine nodded, he heaved a sigh. Gesturing for Cosette to sit on the couch next to him and Fantine, he began to speak.

"Well, Cosette, a few months after we took you from there the inn that they owned burned down. It was suspected to be the father's fault but police blamed an unattended stove in the end. I don't know where they are now but I've tried to keep tabs on them with the help of an old friend."

"Why?"

"Those people you were staying with were horrible people in general, as you well know. I was always afraid they would try to take you back and a friend of mine in the police force has a few ideas of where they are now since they moved away."

Cosette watched in awe as her father, for once in her life, actually looked angry. His whole body was rigid with anger though his eyes still had their sadness to them. Her mother took her hand and placed a comforting one on Valjean's arm.

"Cosette, what made you so suddenly interested in them?" Fantine asked her daughter.

"I-I think I met their oldest daughter and I want to help her."

* * *

**A/N:****Ramin is totally fictionalized in this story so he is very un-Karimloo.**

**I know in the previous chapter Cosette recognizes Eponine as her former foster sister but a girl can have her doubts.**

** I really hope I got the French words and phrases correct since I did a lot of searching but gave up and instead went to Google Translate. If I didn't, please let me know!**

**Va te faire foutre=Fuck off**

**Batard=Bastard**

**Qui la baise vous pensez que vous etes=Who the fuck do you think you are?**

**Maman=Mom**


End file.
